A tender and irreverently funny debut novel about the complicated bond between mothers and daughters the disappearance of a father and the long-hidden history of a declining New England mill town. A powerful novel about how our family history shapes us. Swift River broke my heart and then offered me hope. --Ann Napolitano New York Times bestselling author of Hello BeautifulIts the summer of 1987 in Swift River and Diamond Newberry is learning how to drive. Ever since her Pop disappeared seven years ago she and her mother hitchhike everywhere they go. But thats not the only reason Diamond stands out: shes teased relentlessly about her weight and the fact that since Pops been gone she is the only Black person in all of Swift River. This summer Ma is determined to declare Pop legally dead so that they can collect his life insurance money get their house back from the bank and finally move on. But when Diamond receives a letter from a relative shes never met key elements of Pops life are uncovered and she is introduced to two generations of African American Newberry women spanning the 20th century and revealing a much larger picture of prejudice and abandonment of love and devotion. As pieces of their shared past become clearer Diamond gains a sense of her place in the world and in her family. But how will what shes learned of the past change her future? A story of first friendships family secrets and finding the courage to let go Swift River is a sensational debut about how history shapes us that heralds the arrival of a major new literary talent.
